Clothes-holder



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1;

' G. M. FREEMAN.

CLOTHES HOLDER.

No. 557,796. Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

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No. 557,796. Patented Apr/7, 1896.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. FREEMAN, OF MANCHESTER, NE\V HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR, BY

DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CHARLES H. MERRILL, OF STOD- DARD, AND LOUIS A. BUTLER AND KIRK D. PIERCE, OF IIILLSBOROUGII,

NEIV HAMPSHIRE.

CLOTHES-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 557,796, dated April 7, 1896.

Application filed March 29, 1895.

To all whont it may concern.-

Ee it lcnownthat I, CHARLES M. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manchester, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes- Ilolders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention is directed to improvements in devices for supporting bed an d other clothing and the like, and has for its object the production of a simple and etficient support of this character possessing advantages in point of durability and ease of operation and cheapness of manufacture.

The invention is more especially directed to devices for supporting bedclothing, and to this end the support is shown applied to the foot-board of a bedstead, although, as before stated, the same is susceptible of general use.

I will now describe in detail my improved support, and, in connection with the description, attention is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates in perspective view my improved clothes-support applied to a bedstead, the clothes-bar being shown extended for use. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the bar closed against the foot-board. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the supporting-arms. Fig. 4: is a cross-sectional view of the bar. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the hinge-plates. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of support, the parts being shown extended for use in full lines and shown idle in dotted lines. Fig. '7 is a side elevation showing a modified arrangement for supporting the bar. Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing a further modified arrangement for supporting the bar, and Fig. is a Serial No. l3f70'7. (No model.)

side elevation showing another form of barsupporting arrangement.

Like letters of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, A denotes the foot-board of a bedstead, and B is the bar, which is adapted when extended to form a support for the bedclothing for air- 5 5 ing purposes. Secured at each side of the foot-board and at or near the top of same is a hinge-plate 0, provided with two perforated lugs c and adjacent to the lower lug c is a block 0 havinga depression 0 in its upper side formed with an inclined approach and a vertical shoulder, as shown. The lugs c 0 receive a pintle, and on the latter is loosely mounted the inner end of the supportingarm e. Surrounding the pintle and interposed between the arm and the upper lug c is a coil-spring d, which operates to depress said arm.

6' is a finger, which is integral with the arm and triangular in shape to provide a brace for the latter. By reason of the spring d this finger is in constant contact with the upper side of the block 0 and when the arm is moved to a position at right angles to the footboard the finger is forced by said spring into the depression 0 and the arm is thereby locked in this position.

In practice the device is extended for use and folded when not in use by the movements of the supporting-arms, which swing inward 8o againstthe foot-board or outward at right angles thereto with the pintle as a center. The inclined approach of the depression 0 enables the ready engagement and disengagement of the finger, and the vertical shoulder of said depression forms a stop for the arms when at right angles to the foot-board. The outer end of each arm is provided with bearing-pins e 6 extending above and below the same and which engage laterally a T-shaped slot 1), 0 formed in the inner side of the bar B. The outer ends of said arms are longitudinally movable in said slot to permit of their swinging inward and outward, as above stated, and to reduce the friction the pins are provided with rollers 6 In the operation of the support, the arms, when not in use, are moved inward or toward each other simultaneously, and this movement causes the clothes-bar to approach the foot-board and to finally lie against same, as shown. \Vhen the device is to be used, the bar is pulled outward until the supportin g-arms are at right angles to the foot-board, when they are locked in this position by the engagement of the fingers with the depressions in the blocks. The vertical portions of the depressions being at opposing sides of the blocks, the arms, and consequently the bar, are held steadily without endwise movement.

Referring now to Fig. 6, it will be observed that I obtain the same degree of eificiency by employing vertically-swinging arms for supporting the clothes-bar. In said figure is shown the bar B, the arms 2 e, and the hingeplates 0 c. The arms, however, are fixedly secured at their outer ends to the bar B, and the hinge connection with the plates 0 is made by forming a hook f on the inner end of each bar, which loosely engages an eye g on said plate. As a means for supporting the bar in its raised position, I employ arms 72, which are each pivotally secured at one end to one of the arms e and at the other end to a second eye g on the plate. Each of said arms h is formed in two parts connected together by a rule-joint h, which enables the folding and extension of said arms to respec tively lower and raise the clothes-bar.

In Fig. 7 is shown a modified arrangement for supporting the bar B, the same consisting of two arms 7t, each pivotally secured at one end to an eye g on the plate 0 and at its other to a collar '6, which is slidable on one of the arms (2. This collar is adapted to engage, when the bar B is raised to the proper height, a notch j formed in the under side of said arm, the Vertical side of said notch forming a stop for the collar.

In Fig. 8 is shown another form of support for the clothes-bar, the same comprising an arm h, formed with a slot 7;, which receives a headed pin Z on each of the arms 7b. In the outer end of the slot is an offset 7;, which is engaged by the pin Z when the arms and bar are raised and forms the means for locking the latter in position for use.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a clothes-support comprising a bar 13 and supporting-arms e, pivotally secured to hinge-plates c. The means for supporting the bar in this arrangement consists of a bail-shaped brace m, pivotally secured at each end to the arms e. On the plates 0 are integral steps 12, which receive the free end of the bail when the bar B and arms 6 are raised, and said engagement serves to support the bar in its elevated position.

All of the forms shown and described have the advantages of simplicity of construction, durability, and cheapness of manufacture. The means employed for extending and folding the device, moreover, render the operation simple and capable of being quickly performed. In all of the arrangements shown and described, the bar, when extended, is held rigidly both vertically and horizontally, thus precluding accidental collapse.

I claim as my invention 1. A clothes-support comprising a clothesbar, hinge-plates secured to an article of furniture, and carrying a pintle and a block provided with a depression, arms, each of which is mounted at one end on said pintle and having slidable connection at its other end with the bar, a spring bearing on the inner end of the arm, and a finger on said arm adapted to engage the depression when the arm is extended.

2. A clothes-support comprising a clothesbar having a T-slot, hinge-plates secured to an article of furniture and provided with two lugs and a block, the latter having a depres- J sion, a pintle passed through said lugs, supporting-arms each of which is mounted at one end 011 the pintle, a spring bearing on said end, the other end of the arm engaging laterally but slidable in the slot in the bar and rollers 011 said end.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. FREEMAN. \Vitnesses:

V. T. NORTON, L. P. SQUIER. 

